It's Ellen! Degeneres announced her new gig yesterday during a taping of her talk show. The funny lady is a long-time fan of American Idol. She'll bring a fresh perspective to the judge's table since she doesn't have a background in the music industry. She's just a everyday music-lover! And she'll bring a consumer's opinion to the show.
*Getty Images
"As far as people thinking I'm pretty or something, I don't know. It's amazing what a haircut and forgetting to shave will do." - David Cook on his newfound popularity.
Christian Siriano proved that "fierceness" was just what Heidi Klum was looking for as he (emotionally) took the title of best designer of the hit-show's fourth season. Siriano, from Annapolis, MD and the youngest contestant to ever win, achieved another difficult task as well...he made the one and only Posh smile. Victoria Beckham, who joined Klum, Michael Kors and Nina Garcia on the judging panel for the final runway show, admitted that Siriano's collection was something that she would wear and in her own words said, "It was major."
"Sanjaya Malakar’s off-key performances have been rudely labeled “very weak and a little weird” by Simon Cowell, snidely mocked on Saturday Night Live, and even the subject of a barrage of ridicule from shock jock Howard Stern.
And that’s not to mention the ribbing the 17-year-old singer’s taken for his ever-changing, occasional roosterlike hairdos! But given that the Washington state native had already lived through his parents’ divorce and near-poverty during his early childhood, his toughness in the face of all that criticism shouldn’t come as a surprise!
Sanjaya’s world fell apart in October of 1992, when he was just 3 years old — and his sister Shyamali, another Idol contestant, was 5 — after his father, Vasudeva Malakar, 44, filed for divorce from their mother, Jillian Recchi, 41. According to documents obtained by Star from Snohomish County (Wash.) Superior Court, the parents, who had separated a year before the divorce filing, were followers of the Hare Krishna movement. Since their marriage in 1985, they had been members of a Krishna temple in a small town 17 miles east of Seattle.
As for what caused the rift between the couple, “Their marriage was basically already over when Vasudeva began living in the temple as a full-time priest in 1992,” Harry Terhanian — known by his Krishna name of Harivilas das, and director of the Issaquah, Wash., temple — tells Star. “Sanjaya’s dad grew up in a Krishna school in India and had been fully trained as a priest.” The split was especially dramatic and unexpected since, says Terhanian, “Krishna does not condone divorce except in extreme situations.”’
When the divorce was filed, the family had almost no money coming in. Jill and the children were living in a Seattle apartment, and her only income was $531 a month from welfare. Dad Vasudeva, meanwhile, listed his yearly income as zero, and the couple’s home in a northern Seattle suburb was up for sale.
By December of 1992, according to court papers, Sanjaya’s father was compelled to leave the temple and get a paying job — and he clashed with child support authorities when they began to garnish half his paycheck. “I simply will not have enough left to live on,” pled Vasudeva, who insisted he and Jill had already agreed on a monthly figure of $200. “I am a priest and could have lived free of charge at my church, but I decided to go out and get a job to support my children.” By the time the Malakars’ divorce was granted in January 1993, the authorities had grown sympathetic to Sanjaya’s father’s pleas and reinstated his full pay to avoid driving his already meager income "below poverty level.'"
"After going through metal detectors, checking our cell phones/cameras at the door, and depositing our gum into the CBS Studio page's blue cup (no gum chewing allowed on camera), TMZ was ushered to our seats. Celebrities in the audience included Eva Longoria, Sharon Osbourne, J.Lo BFF Leah Remini, and most interestingly, 80's TV bad girl Donna Mills.
Remini brought some of her tough Brooklyn girl edge to the "Idol" set, as staff made an entire row get up and move so she and her hubby, Angelo Pagan, could sit on the aisle. When a page tried to get Leah to dispose of her gum, she shot him an evil death-ray look that sent him cowering back to his post. The power of Xenu!
Booted "Idol" hopeful, curly-haired Chris Sligh entered the studio and the crowd roared with applause and cheers. Sligh must be a huge fan of "King of Queens," because he made a beeline for Remini and introduced himself. Pre-teen fans roamed the set asking for autographs from ex-"Idols" like Sligh, Alaina Alexander (who traipsed around in trollopy red five-inch heels), and Season 5 diva, Mandisa, membah huh? Some Fanjayas even approached Sanjaya Malakar's sexy sister Shyamali for her John Hancockakar!
Now the interest has switched over to Chris Richardson, Justin's arch-nemisis. I don't really know that the two are enemies but I would think Mr. Ego Timberlake would hate being compared to an American Idol.
There were also rumors about Lindsay Lohan and Chris, but you know, there are rumors about Lindsay Lohan and EVERYONE out there. So I doubt that one too.
"I really was surprised. I wasn't expecting (the dismissal) so much. I was pretty secure with myself. I gave two pretty solid performances and the last thing on my mind was to be in the bottom three, let alone the bottom two."
I really liked Gina and thought that she should have gone further. She has a strong voice, unique style of her own and is a great entertainer. But you don't want to hear me rant about how Sanjaya should have gone before her because that has been the case now for the entire season of the show. Why beat the dead horse.
I am bummed about Gina not only because Sanjaya and Gollum - I mean Phil Stacey - outlasted her, but because Haley Scarnato did as well.
So back to Sanjaya. I am going to made a prediction that Phil and Haley may go before him.
Stone says she was a fan of the first season but says that it's gotten to be a bit much in recent seasons. 
